Even the injured in a large power car…, Seoul SK is in crisis. SK lost 72-99 in its second playoff game against the Busan KCC, which was standing at Jamsil Student Gymnasium on Thursday. The team had an equal game through the third quarter, but allowed the team to advance to the semifinals in the fourth quarter only after being unilaterally pushed out of the match. Since it lost both consecutive games held at home, it needs to win all three remaining games to enable it to advance to the semifinals for three consecutive seasons.
The current situation is not easy. There is also no need to rummage on the record that there has never been a case in which a team that lost in both the first and second matches succeeded in offsetting in the best-of-five semifinal playoff. Worse still, the situation has been aggravated by a string of injuries to key players, including severe power shortages. There were few ammunition to hope for a miracle, and the entire body was bent.
KCC has been called Super Team and Goliath Corps since the opening game. All-weather technician Alize Johnson (28, 201cm) has joined Ra Gun-ah (35, 200, 5cm), Lee Seung-hyun (32, 197cm), Jung Chang-young (36, 193cm) and Heo Woong (31, 185cm) as new foreign players, and the return of the existing ace Song Kyo-chang (28, 201cm) and SK forward Choi Jun-yong (30, 200, 2cm).
Starting with Lee Ho-hyun (31·182cm), Jeon Joon-beom (33·195cm), and Lee Keun-hwi (25·187cm), Kim Dong-hyun, Song Dong-hoon, Seo Jung-hyun, and Kwak Jung-hoon were indeed full of players. Jeffrey Epistola (27·180cm), a dual-national point guard in the Philippines of Canada who was recruited as an Asian quarter, was also expected to perform better. There were even voices of concern over how much travel time can be guaranteed for players who could be considered as key players in other teams
It was the moment when the luxurious legion with a huge name value was born. Fans said, “You can win the title just by breathing” and “It’s even harder not to play with such power.” Of course, not as much as KCC, but SK also had high expectations. It is because Ahn Young-joon (29, 194.1 centimeters) returned from military service last season, and a veteran big man named Oh Se-geun (37, 199.8 centimeters) was added as new power.
Some even said that he is the only team that will prevent KCC from becoming the sole leader. In fact, SK deserves a try with KCC. However, given the relatively large number of variables, it is estimated that the contrast will differ depending on which side the team acts. The biggest variable was age. Kim Sun-hyung (35, 187 centimeters) and Oh Se-geun (35 centimeters) had the highest name value among SK players.
Getting older is a disadvantageous factor in sports where physical capabilities have an absolute influence. In particular, no matter how great the players are, such as Kim Sun-hyung and Oh Se-geun, if they pass the mid-30s, their skills will noticeably decline. Nevertheless, Oh was brought in from SK because of his seasoned and witty performance as well as because he performed very well in the previous season.
If Ahn Young-joon, Oh Jae-hyun (24·187 cm), Choi Boo-kyung (34·200 cm) and Heo Il-young (38·195 cm) join forces with two veteran players who forgot their age in the championship match last season, it would have been a good idea. Unfortunately, SK’s age variables for this season have gone into negative territory.
SK’s Showtime basketball, which was a sensation in the playoffs last season, was based on tremendous energy level. Kim played with Jamil Warney (30, 199 cm) as a one-two punch, tapping and tapping the opponent team’s post throughout the game. Kim’s breakthrough, which seemed to forget his age, was the No. 1 target, and Choi Boo-kyung under the basket and Heo Il-young outside the basket cleverly took chances when defense was focused on him and Warney.
In addition to that, Ahn Young-joon and Oh Se-geun were added this season, and Oh Jae-hyun grew significantly. Of course, he had to be considered one of the favorites. Unfortunately, Kim Sun-hyung of this season is not as much a person as he knew last season. Oh Se-geun, who was expected, saw his performance plummet to the point where he could be called a career-low.
When the two veterans, who were originally expected, failed to keep their balance, SK’s expected basketball did not come out. Players who are good at taking things also lost their direction. In such a situation, Warney fought hard, but he has not been able to display his usual power since the second half, perhaps due to the heavy physical burden. To make matters worse, big and small injuries occurred one after another, and the entire team groaned.
KCC, on the other hand, is in the prime of its main players. Still, the team is maintaining its peak performance or showing off more mature performance. Bench members also have many players who run well and run well. From Jeon Chang-jin’s point of view, it is a blessed lineup. In the regular season, he failed to fully operate due to injuries and other reasons, but in the upcoming round of 6, he is showing off his formidable power.
What made SK the most difficult in its past two games was its energy level. It failed to keep up with KCC’s pace, which showed tremendous activity as the younger players took turns. Except for Ahn Young-joon and Oh Jae-hyun, SK had a similar lead at first, but as time passed, it had to slow down due to its lack of physical stamina. To make matters worse, SK is not listening to the outside shot, and another attempt to catch him off guard or cause a reversal has been blocked.
Prospects for Game 3 are also bleak. Under unfavorable circumstances, an increasing number of injuries are occurring one after another. Ahn suffered a torn ligament in his left middle finger during the first leg while his knee, which he had injured during the regular season, is not completely cured. Oh Jae-hyun suffered an ankle injury in the second leg, which is known as a torn ligament according to his medical examination. It is all the more painful as it seems that two key young players who can counterattack with plenty of activity amid the losing battle for energy level are injured.
As can be seen from their crazy drive to the championship game in the playoffs last season, SK has been a very powerful team in big games over the past few seasons. However, the ongoing semi-final series is at an absolute disadvantage, not to be overemphasized by hopelessness.
BY: 토토사이트링크